Home : Real Estate : First national listing service for real estate a boon for buyers, sellers, agents

Feb 16,2007First national listing service for real estate a boon for buyers, sellers, agents by Bend Weekly News Sources

If you’ve bought or sold a home recently, you know that being on either end of the transaction can be stressful. Buyers may be under pressure to find a home quickly, for example, if they are transferring to a new job from a different location. Sellers want to get the best price in the shortest amount of time.

Working with a real estate agent can help make the process easier for everyone involved. And in the age of the Internet, working with an agent who is online is a must. Whether you’re buying or selling, to make sure you have the best information at your fingertips, look for a broker or agent who’s a member of Point2 NLS, the first national listing service for licensed real estate professionals.

“Point2 NLS makes it extremely easy to leverage listing data entered into the system, to quickly and easily put a property that’s for sale in front of millions more potential home buyers, which is in the best interest of the home seller, and makes the research experience that much more complete for buyers researching homes on the Internet,” says Brendan King, chief operating office Technology, the company behind the new listing service.

There are currently over 110,000 brokers and agents in 85 countries using this innovative program which allows agents to cooperatively advertise listings with other members in a wide geographic area not defined by arbitrary MLS boundaries. Another plus, NLS members have automatic, free access to advertising listings on most of the major consumer real estate search sites, which quickly and effortlessly puts listings in front of more potential buyers.

And those listings are rich with information. Each one can include up to 36 photos, and listings with five or more photos also feature a virtual tour, which means sellers can show all the great features of their home, while buyers can get a more complete idea of what a property looks like, inside and out.

Each listing also includes information about the neighborhood the home is located in, and a section where sellers can leave personal comments. “Since the current owners are the experts on their house and their neighborhood, buyers can benefit from their knowledge,” says Jeff Tomlin, manager of market research at Point2 Technologies. For example, the seller might talk about things they will miss about their home, like the fabulous walking and biking trails nearby that they love.

“The more in-depth content offered by Point2 NLS members gives home buyers richer, more complete information to help them in their search,” adds Saul Klein, president and CEO of InternetCrusade, a leading real estate training and consulting organization.

If you’re looking for an agent who utilizes Point2 NLS, simply go to www.Point2Homes.com and click on the Agents tab, then choose the state you’re in or moving to, select the city or neighborhood you’re interested in, and the site will show you real estate professionals who represent properties in the area. With a direct e-mail link, as well as other contact information, it’s easy to get in touch with these agents to speak with them in person.

“Point2 NLS is a great tool for both real estate agents and their clients,” says Klein. “While real estate agents can vastly expand their marketing activities and manage their business using the contact management and contact relationship development component of the program, home buyers and sellers benefit by having wider exposure for each property.”

Membership in Point2 NLS is open to all licensed real estate professionals, and is free of charge. With tens of thousands of agents already using the program and hundreds more joining each day, finding an agent who specializes in the states, cities and even specific neighborhoods you’re interested in should be easy.

Real estate agents can find out more by visiting www.Point2NLS.com. Buyers and sellers looking for an agent in their area who uses Point2 NLS can visit www.Point2Homes.com.